Tuesday, 25 April 2017

Apparently spring is like a month late here or so by now they say on the news and in the papers.
Well yes, thanks, we kind of noticed. The true definition of "april weather". Sun and rain and random snow and temperatuare yo-yoing.

But the spring gear has however premiered. Even to the extent that I treated myself to a new vintage Pendleton and a pair of vintage boots, to stomp around in the mud over here in, via Etsy.
My pyjamas-like high waist wide-legged cropped pants are from Light in The Box.

(They promised -PROMISED - it'd be +20c this weekend so keeping my thumbs and hopes up for that. And if not, then - oh well, damn, it's the weather, then you still just can't do anything about it...)

Friday, 21 April 2017

It's time for the next Dr.Sketchy's Helsinki! This time we create you a little mini cosmos over at our studio, where the drawing takes place.

Dr.Sketchy's is an "anti-art school", a so called 'cabaret drawing'- event, where attendants can draw and paint croquis with a little different setting than the one you might be used to from art school. Usually with a specific theme, styled and set up according to that, and with great music.

Photos by Asko Rantanen, whose alter ego Johnny Moth also will serve as our model.
The space shuttle will be navigated by Tinker Bell and yours truly.

Thursday, 20 April 2017

For the moment.
Apart from the daily to-do list(s). And apart from the weekly and monthly ones as well.

I am a total list-person. I write lists on my phone, on the back of receipts and opened envelopes and random A4's around the house and in multiple text files. And in email drafts. Lists are the foundations of how all practical (and less practical) parts my life is organised. Sometimes I write the same list a couple of times, to get to go over things again (or because it's enjoyable if it's a list of fun things) or because it feels like it's one step closer to be done that way. Ha!

So, here's my "top five" lists for the moment

1. List of lists to be made.
Yes, for reals.

2. Movies I want to be able to catch while they still run at theatres.

I really want to see Moonlight.

This is a constant one, that comes and goes, and that seldom gets anything checked off because work and kids and life and all that. But this winter we managed to see one movie with Eddi, so I've given new hope to actually seeing a couple more!

Also bubblin' under:
Books I want to read (I'd like to read far more than I do nowadays but feel I don't have the time. Hell, internet!)
Shows I want to watch (And no, these two are in no way connected. Ehrm...)

3. Things to renovate at home -

including separate lists of:
-wallpapers I want to use
Turns out there are more of those than walls. And it's good most of my lists are a slow process because this changes one throughout the years.
-storage; how to organise what and where
(this never ends)
-interior details to add after the hard work is done (the one you'd like to dig into immediately; fuck the hard work-part)

This set of lists is constant, because an old house will always need something, but is now back in the top-list segment, as things will kind of, somehow, finally start happening over here for reals soon!

4. Things to grow in the garden

Because what if, this year, for reals.
It's a fun one though. Let's see if we make things happen big(-ger) this year, and all trough the summer...

5. Blog posts to write

This would make a book by now, all the unwritten ones.
If there's a hashtag #toooldtopublish here's where it comes to use.

Are you a list-writing person? Are your lists rather constant or do you get to check things off?

(Online source for top photo: vintage.es. No known original source for the final photo.)

Tuesday, 18 April 2017

Easter. This year I managed to plan a little in advance (as in I beat my side note challenge from last year, did them the night before; tada!) and did not have to rely on what randomness I could find in the drawers. We went feather-free and decorated the willow branches with small pom poms. The kids use these to hand out for when they go around wishing neighbours well for the year to come and expect to get treats in return. They actually turned out rather nice so maybe next year I'll make a vase for us as well. Well, we'll see about that next year then...

And then! Once a year: Mämmi. Memma. Yum. During my thirty-something years of eating mämmi I have, being the kind of person who apparently just can't do things without having to alter them a little, come to the conclusion that I prefer mine with lemon quark, with or sans fresh fruit on the side. And this is for breakfast in my book (and most likely my book only); not dessert.

Well here's another one who also tweaks traditions. For the Easter walk Dag wanted to be a knight, not a witch, which is basically the whole thing and thus pretty much the only option, apart from a bunny or the witch's black cat every now and then. Well we've seen huge eggs and chickens over here too and if the kid wants to be a knight I'll of course turn him into one!
You can read more about the candy begging-well-wishing Eastern tradition in the some past posts of mine.

Thursday, 13 April 2017

Fennel is a vegetable which anis-like taste I sometimes crave for, and sometimes makes me go 'Uh, not now!'. It is however mostly the first option for me, and this easy-to-put-together side dish salad suits Easter well I think. It goes well with mild foods like eggs and rice to add some sour and piquant vibes, or middle along wiht some eastern dishes but also on top of a cheese sandwhich for example.

I use a white vinegar with black currant which gives some extra taste to the salad. If you want a spicier version you can add a little Sriracha sauce as well. And add some more oils and fine chopped cabbage if yo do, but now we are going into totally different territories and salads already.

Monday, 10 April 2017

Pretty much two of my favourite things!
(Well you know, depending on what level of life and living you are referring to.)

I find these images of snacks matching the outfits; a series named Wardrobe Snacks by Kelsey Mc Kellan with stylist Michelle Maguire, strangely soothing for the eye and mind, partly in the sense that they somehow are very reminiscent of my childhood. Must be the hues and the polyester, early 80's.

That. And the snacks.I mean is there anything more 80's than that cardboard like waffle cone? Those (and they are still around) were the only ice cream waffles back in the days. And that shade of ice cream - pear ice cream. An instant childhood boost for me. You might have heard this story before, but we were in Heikintori in Tapiola with my mother and now late grandmother and it was warm and sunny and I got a pear ice cream and then my 9-month pregnant mother's water broke and we had to rush away and I did not get to finish that ice cream. Or so my almost three-year old's brain remembers it, the day my sister decided to arrive; a half eaten pear ice cream.

Saturday, 1 April 2017

Today I've been wearing blue.
From top to toe, rather literally; I have a new sky blue faux-scarf turban that I've been hiding my somewhat un-styled hair under lately.

And so today as well, serving also a practical reason to help my hair stay put and away while I finally got around changing the soil for all the plants in the house (all those plants that survived winter, that is). Re-potting and cutting and all however resulted in more plants than before.

The smartest thing is of course to dig in to the potting soil without any gloves when you've just had new fancy Fabergé egg-looking nails done.

My fourth thing now today's sountdrack. I don't tend to listen that much to domestic music, even less to music of Swedish speaking Finnish origin (you know, like me) for some reason but today this has been playing.

PROFILE

About life on the burlesque stage and behind my mac. I do design, pilates and red lips, enjoy wine and beautiful dresses, am fond of high heels and fancy hair, monkeys and seamen. I love rautalanka, my cats and my car. And most of all my little Dag and my Eddi. And I don't think anyone should take themselves too seriously!. This blog is about a little bit of everything actually, mainly the good stuff. To contact me send mail to: freelancersfashion@gmail.com but do note that I am not interested in taking "guest posts" or any other form of advertising anything for free. Read the "Please Note" section under the header first.